Monday, March 15, 2010

25 years of dot com.

Twenty-five years ago today, the first dot-com Internet domain was registered.  It certainly didn't make a ripple in my world; I was probably more concerned about my son's impending graduation.  In fact, the Internet didn't mean a thing to me until 1998, when we bought our first computer.  
I have no idea how the Internet works.  How is it that I can type words onto a computer monitor that, with the touch of a key, are out there at that very second for the whole world to see (OK, 150 people, but who's counting)?  There's no wire transferring the words.  The words are stored somewhere, but how?  Where?  You can't touch them or see them as pages filed in a storage box.  It's all invisible.
It's possible to instant-message somebody on the other side of the world and have a conversation in real time.  Incredible.
We can do a Google search (or in my case, a Swagbucks search) and get information about any subject; of course, we must sort through it all and decide which information is from the proper source.  
When I'm sick, I can hunt up my symptoms and have some idea what might possibly be wrong with me before I head to the doctor.  I've learned, though, to never mention to my doctor that I looked something up on the Internet.  He'll say with a groan, "Oh yes, the INTERNET," as though it's his number one nemesis.    
The World Wide Web will forever be a mystery to me.  More than that, a miracle.  When I was a kid, I remember wishing I could make myself invisible; now I can, because you're reading my thoughts here, but you don't see me, do you?  I'm invisible!  
I'd love to tell you I don't believe in the Internet because, after all, I can't touch it or see it or feel it.  Surely it doesn't exist.  How can it be?  It isn't logical.  Common sense tells me something like this is impossible.  I wonder if anybody has ever published a book explaining why the Internet isn't real.  If such a book existed, I'm sure somebody would buy it and believe it.  I can imagine the slogans they'd come up with:  "The Internet is the Opiate of the People," for example.  
But just like certain other invisible forces in my life, I know the Internet is real because I see the results of its existence every day.  When I speak to it, I get the answers I'm looking for (always making sure the answers are coming from the proper source, of course). 


Who Has Seen the Wind?
Neither I nor you. 
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?  
Neither you nor I,  
But when the trees bow down their heads, 
The wind is passing by.

Christina Rossetti




6 comments:

  1. March is the windy month they say. We have had it much milder than usual here. I think it's going to go out like a lion for sure.

    It may just be the year we have snow for Easter.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ken was mentioning this morning about .com. He always says things are stored somewhere out there in cyberspace LOL. That is about as good as anyplace I suppose. Helen

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous6:17 PM

    http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/showlink.aspx?bookmarkid=KXX20R0BC647&preview=article&linkid=b70598b2-697b-4ef2-bec1-aa567a0ee458&pdaffid=ZVFwBG5jk4Kvl9OaBJc5%2bg%3d%3d

    ...the internet is a funny thing, no? Contrary to this article, I also heard that it's going to be "re-designed," so at this point, there's no firm ground, is there?

    Sincerely,
    MediaMentions

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know how it works and where it's stored;it's a pretty neat system. I was passing by your whereabouts today twice! dropping my kid off in St.Louis and I have to do it again on Friday. Took some pics in Concordia.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I know how my other invisible sources work, also. That is a pretty neat system as well.
    I'll be watching for pictures on your blog taken in Concordia.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can't even begin to wrap my brain around how the Internet works, just glad that it does!

    ReplyDelete

I love comments!